Many computer-based systems have been devised for automating various aspects of the shopping process. Electronic inventory, product scanning and order processing devices are available in many retail establishments to increase the efficiency of transactions and thereby improve service to the customer. Such equipment is utilized in some stores having a format in which the retail point of sale and merchandise warehouse are located in a combined facility. This format is often operated by placement of just one representative sample of the especially large items in the retail area, with the remainder stored in the remote warehouse portion of the facility in effort to maximize the use of display floor space. When an item is purchased, the customer must wait while the merchandise is routed to a designated pick-up and loading area.
While known computer-based automation systems have reduced the cost and increased the efficiency of handling retail customer transactions, numerous disadvantages and shortcomings exist in their application to the combined point of sale and warehouse retail store format. A system is needed in which the point of sale and warehouse processing functions are coupled and operate in real-time support of each other. Elements of the system need to be integrated to provide a highly efficient operation which reduces the number of required sales, warehouse and check out personnel, and which improves the timely communication of information between such personnel and to the customer. Improvements in automation of this type are required to establish an information-based flow of customers through a store which maximizes the customer's shopping experience.